Dr. Eric Verdin is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, California — the world's first independent research institute dedicated to understanding why we age. He has led the Buck for the past decade.
A physician-scientist, his lab studies how nutritional states — from fasting protocols to obesity — regulate critical metabolic pathways such as NAD+ metabolism and ketone body synthesis, and how those pathways shape both metabolic health and the aging immune system. He is the author of more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and 20 patents, and ranks among the world's top 1% most-cited scientists.
He holds active academic appointments as Professor in the Department of Medicine at UCSF and Adjunct Professor of Gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. What sets him apart is his stance: he rejects the "nonsense" of extreme lifespan projections and focuses instead on what's achievable now. Chronological age is fixed — but biological aging, he argues, is malleable, and much of it is within our control.
He is also a builder — founder of BHB Therapeutics, Napa Therapeutics and Selah, and an advisor to longevity startups and clinics. And, self-described, a biohacker who defends the community even when other scientists won't.
Buck Institute · CEOUCSF · Professor of MedicineUSC Leonard Davis · GerontologyFounder · BHB · Napa · Selah
Buck Institute for Research on Aging · Novato, CA
Where we met
From a racetrack to the Buck
Before we ever set foot on campus, we met Eric at a racetrack in Novato — where he races go-karts to stay in flow and sharpen his cardiovascular fitness. It told us everything: here was the president of a leading aging institute, living the science he studies. Later, inside a vast, tree-filled hall at the Buck, we filmed a long conversation about lifestyle, experimentation, and thinking beyond the traditional model. Our paths have kept crossing ever since, across the longevity world.
The Racetrack
Novato, California
Where we first met Eric — in a racing suit, helmet in hand, treating cardiovascular fitness as flow.
Buck Institute
Novato, California
A serene space in nature. We filmed a long conversation with Eric, Marek and Aleksander together.
Around the World
Dublin · Warsaw · Copenhagen
Longevity Summit Dublin, the Longevity Center in Warsaw, ARDD in Copenhagen — the field kept bringing us back together.
"When you're ready to create Buck X — your version of Google X for longevity — I'm in."
— Marek Piotrowski, to Eric Verdin, at the Buck Institute
On the quest
Moments with Eric
The interviewBuck Institute, Novato — the long conversation on lifestyle and agingIn flowRacing to stay sharp, NovatoTwo generationsEric & Aleksander, tracksideFather, son & scientistEric, Marek & Alek at the BuckHealthy longevity, embodiedBuck Institute atriumWalking out of the BuckMarek, Alek & Kamil — Novato, CaliforniaThe Buck on the hillThe Institute Eric leads — Marin County
In his words
On longevity, lived
"I've never worked a day in my life. Every day you come and do science is just an amazing privilege."
Eric Verdin · at the Buck Institute
Wealth without health is worthless. All the money in the world sits in an account if you're not able to live.
Eric Verdin
The biggest predictor of your lifespan is your zip code — the air you breathe, the water you drink, the community you live in.
Eric Verdin
One of the strongest predictors of a long lifespan and a healthy lifespan is your sense of purpose.
Eric Verdin
I'm sixty-seven now, and I feel better today than I did in my twenties. Being optimized in your health brings you incredible joy.
Eric Verdin · Longevity Center, Warsaw
In his own words
Straight from the interview
Pulled from our filmed conversation at the Buck Institute — Eric's philosophy, his own practice, and his read on the movement.
Eric's view on longevity
His north star is healthy longevity — length and quality as two sides of one coin, powered by a sense of purpose.
"When you start optimizing your health, it's not about living tomorrow. For me, it is about living well today."
Buck Institute · 2024
How Eric does longevity
He lives the science: kart racing weekly for flow and cardio (heart rate 160–170, "zone five"), plus the basics — sleep, nutrition, stress, connection, movement.
"The more I practice what I'm teaching, the better I'm getting — not only in life, but also on the track."
Sonoma Raceway · 2024
His wish for the movement
Eric's blessing for the quest is unmistakable — he sees a culture of health taking hold, and he's all in for spreading it.
"No one wants to live old and sick. We are on the verge of a movement — a movement of health."
The video interview is coming. Recorded interviews go live after the launch of the film & series Live Beyond.
Selected passages from our filmed conversations with Dr. Eric Verdin — at Sonoma Raceway, the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and the Longevity Center in Warsaw.
On why he prefers "healthy longevity"
Eric Verdin"The term longevity is often misunderstood. In scientific circles we distinguish between lifespan and healthspan. But I prefer 'healthy longevity' because it encompasses both aspects of the field. Life is incredibly precious — once you have a good life, you want more of it. But living any kind of life is not worth it. We want to maximize the quality of our life today."
Eric Verdin"When you start optimizing your health, it's not about living tomorrow. For me, it is about living well today."
On lifestyle — 93% is in your hands
Marek Piotrowski"People come and ask what drug they can take today to live longer."
Eric Verdin"Today we might have some, but none are demonstrated. What I tell them is that 93% of your longevity today is determined by your lifestyle. Optimizing your lifestyle factors — sleep, nutrition, stress mitigation, human connection, physical activity — is associated with a 10-to-15-year increase in healthy lifespan. Most of us, if optimized, could expect to live to 90 or 95. That is not a pipe dream."
On racing, flow and living now
Marek Piotrowski"Why did you want to meet us here, at the racetrack?"
Eric Verdin"There's a lot of talk in the longevity movement about how long we're going to live. For me it's become much more: how do I live now? Racing is the epitome of this — it takes physical strength and very intense focus. It's the ultimate sport to get into a flow state. And the more I practice what I'm teaching, the better I'm getting — not only in life, but also on the track."
On being a biohacker
Eric Verdin"If you take care of your health, of your nutrition, of your body — you are a biohacker. I've been defending the community. There are things in that world I find crazy, but the rest of the world doesn't care at all about their health. So I'd rather embrace the concept and help people identify what's real, what's dangerous, and work together. Just never put all your eggs into one person's basket."
On rigor — why trials matter
Eric Verdin"Interventions must be evaluated through randomized controlled trials to distinguish placebo effects from true biological impact. That's precisely why we built a clinical center at the Buck. People pay $700 for an IV NAD infusion — within minutes it's degraded in your liver into nicotinamide, which you can take as a pill for about thirty cents. If the infusion is better, show me the data."
On the dream — a "Google X for aging"
Eric Verdin"We need to build a Google X for aging research — we don't have this right now. The research system funds ideas; I think it should fund people. Identify the very bright ones, give them the resources, and let them take chances and fail. Do the kind of research that fails 90% of the time, because the 10% that works will be completely new. That's my vision of a dream institute."
Marek Piotrowski"When you're ready to create Buck X — your version of Google X for longevity — I'm in."
On the joy of an optimized life
Eric Verdin"Over the last seven years I've optimized everything I can, based on the best science. The initial intent was to live as long as possible — but what I discovered is that being optimized in your health brings you incredible joy in everyday life. I'm sixty-seven now, and I feel better today than I did in my twenties. My mind is clear, I sleep well, I have more energy. On a day-to-day basis, that is the real revolution."
More passages from the full interview will be published here.
Continue the quest
More minds on the quest
Eric Verdin explores Biohacking Upgrades on the Longevity Map — here are others on the same frontier, and the full cast of 100+.
